Electric Bikes at Tecos?

[Sarge]

Noticed in their catalogue a Meerkat Metro 26" electric bike @ £350.00
(in unassembled form)
6 speed Shimano gears, up to 24 kms on full charge.
Not much else listed.
It's got a big lump of a motor stashed on the left of the back wheel which makes it look like an iZip Comfort Ladies bike on sale at 50 Cycles for £349 in unassembled form.
Still you get Tesco points if you buy it!!

 

[flecc]

These have been around for a long tine Chris. Meercat Metro is just the Tesco name for a normal Izip bike with the Currie motor. The Izip can be bought from some dealers at the same price, so that would be better from a service point of view.

It's very heavy, the Currie motor is now very dated and has reliability issues and the bike's range is very short on it's lead acid batteries by today's standards.
.

 

[Danny-K]

15 miles per charge?!? Crap!

I thought Tesco's had tried to improve its image in recent years. Perhaps they've found it brings in no extra money so have reverted to what they were best known for; cheap, supermarket rubbish. ie., palm the public off with anything as long as it's cheap.

At least they're doing cheap petrol - something they've made attempts at to understand.

 

[wotwozere]

Hi

Do not suppose you can expect too much for £350, cannot buy a ezeebattery on its own for that. At least Tesco are trying, I buy a lots of there basic range and find it good value but not quite as good as 28 day sirloin steak from marks and spencer but you would pay 4x and could not expect it to taste the same surely. You get what for you pay.

thx

Bob

 

[Danny-K]

Hi

Do not suppose you can expect too much for £350, cannot buy a ezeebattery on its own for that. At least Tesco are trying, I buy a lots of there basic range and find it good value but not quite as good as 28 day sirloin steak from marks and spencer but you would pay 4x and could not expect it to taste the same surely. You get what for you pay.

thx

Bob

I biked it to M&S tonight; love their food produce but my-oh-my it is ever so expensive, empty my wallet they do. Having said that, if you haven't had one of their inhouse-baked Cherry Bakewell tarts - you just haven't lived! Mmmmmmmmm....... (Goes into Homer Simpson mode), Mmmm Cherry... Mmmm... Bakewll... Mmmmm... Tart.... Mmmmm...

- 89p for one!!!! Doh!

 

[Hooligooner]

I have the Izip version.

It's alright, gets me to work everyday, and occasionally takes me on a longer route home. It is hugely heavy but the motor power overcomes this, however any slight incline or headwind does mean having to use power. Steeper hills require solid input from the rider.

I must admit after 2 months ownership I am looking at what to buy next, but at this price you would only have to save £30 an month on petrol for the bike to pay for itself in a year; I reckon that at only around 5 miles a day. Also, owning this has got me back out on my MTB, getting fitter and muddy.

So maybe that's how to look at bikes like these, as a cheap way for the curious, but enthusiastic, beginning pedelec-er to give this a go.

 

[andrewelectricbike1]

Good for you mate. Don`t forget you can tinker with the IZIP motor type if you are going to take it "off-road".

I commute a bog standard Pioneer with a powabyke hub in a 600 wheel. All the other kit is covert in the panniers. You don`t need to spend huge sums buying these bikes. The fun with electric bikes is that you can make them yourself.

Andrew

 

[Hooligooner]

Good for you mate. Don`t forget you can tinker with the IZIP motor type if you are going to take it "off-road".

Andrew

Cheers Andrew,

I would be very grateful if somebody could point me too anything on-line that may give pointers for this. Just for interests sake you understand, as I would never want to ride an illegal bike...

Ta

Elmo.

 

[andrewelectricbike1]

Look at the forums on endless sphere. Plenty of izip motor and gear mods there.
TNC scooters sell the motors too as far as I am aware.
Enjoy the off roading
Regards
Andrew

 

[Phil the drill]

I commute a bog standard Pioneer with a powabyke hub in a 600 wheel. All the other kit is covert in the panniers. You don`t need to spend huge sums buying these bikes. The fun with electric bikes is that you can make them yourself.

Andrew

Hi Andrew

When you put the Powabyke hub into the Pioneer forks did you reinforce the dropouts on the front forks to prevent the rotational torque from the motor tearing them open, or did you find that tightening the motor axle bolts was sufficient to prevent that from happening? In the Powabyke itself they fit a very hefty steel reinforcing plate to the front fork dropout to prevent that from happening.

Cheers, Phil

 

[andrewelectricbike1]

hijack this thread...
250 watts can still turn in the forks ripping the wires out. A bit of metalwork and two P clips helps kill the risk. The Pioneer forks and frame are steel with the characteristic Raleigh diamond strength.

A stronger motor would require a better solution. (I must check the torque on those nuts!)
Andrew

I look at the Izip range occasionally. I know my commute terrain and distance so I really only ever want a bike to match that journey for a couple of years. The absolute mechanical simplicity of the Izip back wheel and motor attracts modifications without a doubt.

Leave the pricey posh bikes to the hoorays and gadgers.

Andrew

 

[Phil the drill]

hijack this thread...
250 watts can still turn in the forks ripping the wires out. A bit of metalwork and two P clips helps kill the risk. The Pioneer forks and frame are steel with the characteristic Raleigh diamond strength.
Leave the pricey posh bikes to the hoorays and gadgers.

Andrew

Thanks Andrew,
Neat looking solution. Given me a couple of ideas on using the motor and controller from my old (written off) Powabyke and slotting them into the wife's old Saracen runabout...One old lump could give the other a nudge up the hills....
Cheers, Phil
PS to my great relief she's not a member of this forum

 

[Rod Tibbs]

By the way, where is Tecos?

 

[andrewelectricbike1]

Next to Sainburies and adsa

 

[Danny-K]

Next to Sainburies and adsa

And where is Adsa?


Later...
Whoops, fell right in to that one didn't I? - didn't even notice anything unusual about Sainburies.

Time for bed, said Zeberdee.